Raindapple's Trouble
by AbyssalNeko
Summary: The story of Raindapple before she was a stuttery, nervous mess, and the story of how adversity can be overcome even by a group of feral cats. Rated T for violence.
1. Allegiances (1)

FROSTCLAN

**Leader:**

Stormstar - Dark gray tom with blue eyes.

**Deputy:**

Willowspot - Black-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.  
>(apprentice: Owlpaw)<p>

**Medicine Cat:**

Berryshine - Cream-colored tom with white paws. Bright green eyes.

**Warriors:**

Cloudfrost - Large gray-and-white tom with pale blue eyes. Half blind.  
>(apprentice: Brackenpaw)<p>

Runningspirit - Black tom with green eyes.

Appleheart - Gray she-cat with amber eyes.

Foxtail - Ginger tom with a bushy tail. Amber eyes.

Minnowflight - Very light gray she-cat with distinct black markings.  
>(apprentice: Nightpaw)<p>

Kestrelsong - Cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes.

Fernwhisker - Delicate tabby she-cat with green eyes.  
>(apprentice: Dewpaw)<p>

Volefrost - Black tom with amber eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Dewpaw - Light gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Brackenpaw - Golden tabby tom with amber eyes.

Nightpaw - Black with white patches on chest and face.

Owlpaw - Calico she-cat with green eyes. White paws, chest, and muzzle.

**Queens:**

Brambleface- Spotted brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Ashkit - Gray tabby she-kit.

Icekit - White she-kit.

Thornkit - Brown tabby tom

Firekit - Ginger tom.

Robinflight - Pale tabby she-cat with gray eyes.

Snowkit - Silver tabby she-kit.

Rainkit - Brown tabby she-kit with white chest, paws, and muzzle.

Sunspot - Light ginger she-cat.

**Elders:**

Poppyfur - Tortoiseshell tom with gray eyes.

Brokenfang - Gray tom with an underbite.


	2. Chapter One

"Rainkit! Rainkit, wake up!" Snowkit's voice was loud in her ear, and the smaller tabby mewed in irritation, curling tighter into their nest. Her sister was not impressed, and jabbed her harshly in the side with one paw. "Poppyfur said he'd tell us a story if we all went, and you're gonna ruin it for the rest of us," she complained, jabbing again. Rainkit's eyes opened a bit more at that, and she uncurled reluctantly. Their mother, Robinflight, purred softly as the tiny kits made their way out of the nursery, pausing Rainkit to swipe her tongue fondly over her ear.

"Be back in the nursery as soon as Poppyfur is finished," the queen mewed sternly, casting Snowkit a warning glance. The silver she-kit just tossed her head, as though appalled by the mere thought of causing trouble for her Clanmates, and padded out of the den, into the considerably colder air outside. Rainkit bounced after her, shivering as she felt the chill seep into her thin coat.

Being situated in the mountains meant that the leafbares were harsher for FrostClan, but they hadn't succumbed as of yet. The cats were growing more suited for the cold weather, if anything; most of the warriors and queens had thick, fluffy fur, and weren't bothered in the least. It made Rainkit all the more eager to grow up and take her place as a warrior. Her thin kitten fur was all-too-easily pierced by even the slightest breeze. She scurried after her sister, trying to keep from standing in one spot too long, across the camp, much to the amusement of the returning patrols. Rainkit was quick to duck into the secure warmth of the elder's den, shivering and cold-pawed. One of Brambleface's kits stared owlishly at her, making her fur prickle nervously. Poppyfur made a soft sound, and they all turned towards him, receiving an annoyed look in return. "Now then, what story would you like to hear?" he asked after a sigh.

Immediately, several voices chimed in, and Brokenfang gave them a grumpy look from his nest. Ashkit, one of Brambleface's kits, waited until her siblings had calmed down before piping in, "Tell us about one of the great battles you were in, Poppyfur!" The old tom rumbled in amusement.  
>"Always one for the battles, aren't you, Ashkit?" The little gray she-cat puffed up, and she looked proud, although Rainkit couldn't tell if the words were praise or not.<p>

"Well then, let's start with my first ever battle. I remember that when FrostClan first formed, there was some conflict. No one wanted to share their territory with a group of rag-tag rogues and deserters, after all. I was an apprentice when this happened, so it was many, many moons ago," he reminded, which made Brokenfang snicker. "You're not much better," Poppyfur shot at him, which launched them into one of their infamous squabbles, much to the kits' amusement. Most of the Clan said they quarreled like lovers, although both of them had previously taken a mate and had kits. The whole thing confused Rainkit, but she kept quiet about it, since Snowkit and most of the others seemed to understand.  
>"Now, where were we…?" Poppyfur settled back into his nest, moving so that his scarred forelegs were tucked under him. The kits clambered again to be the first to speak, only to again be hushed by the older tom. "If you all can't quiet down I'll send you back to the nursery," he gruffed sternly. Snowkit spoke this time, and Rainkit was almost awed by the way her sister held herself. She was so confident; almost like an apprentice already.<p>

"You were saying you were just an apprentice at the time of your first battle," she meowed, earning a lot of synchronized nodding from Brambleface's kits in agreement. Poppyfur ignored the muffled laughter from Brokenfang- who was nursing a cuffed ear- and sighed, voice raspy as he continued again.  
>"Ah, yes… Thank you, Snowkit. Yes, I was an apprentice, just out of the nursery. I was one of the first kits born into FrostClan, did you all know that?" He didn't give the kits any time to answer before going on, his eyes hazy and lost in his faraway memories. Rainkit exchanged a glance with her sister before looking back up to Poppyfur, her tail swishing slightly on the moss covered floor.<p>

"There was another apprentice then with me named Lichenpaw, and she was really soft-spoken and shy. Everyone tried to convince her to become the medicine cat apprentice, but she wouldn't hear it. Said that she'd prove herself, but she didn't need to. She had the best warrior in the Clan as her mentor, and she was a fast learner. But she was just too shy to do anything… One day, Molefoot came runnin' into the camp, yowling about an invasion about halfway down the mountain, and that his patrol was fighting them. Froststar herself decided to go with us, to find out just what was going on. At the time, we only had about four warriors, and the medicine cat had learned to fight so he'd be of some use in one of these situations.

"We got down to where the fighting was, and, StarClan, it was awful. There was blood and fur everywhere, and there were just as many cats there attacking us as there were in the Clan itself, and the only ones we had left at camp were the queens and kits. It was a mix of 'em, which was surprising, since GoldClan and FeatherClan had a history of fighting between them. They must have really hated us," he added, pausing to readjust himself again. Rainkit vaguely remembered Berryshine telling her mother that older cats were prone to getting stiff in the cold, and her nose wrinkled up a bit. She didn't look forward to that part of getting older.

"So when we get there, Froststar's all kinds of angry. She had those sort of eyes that made you freeze in place, made you feel like a little kitten again. She had the fighting stopped before the rest of our patrol even got there, and she had the deputy of FeatherClan and the senior warrior of GoldClan pinned under her stare. She had 'em cornered, and I remembered feeling pride in my Clan for the first time there. And she said, 'If FrostClan were not meant to exist, the great ancestors in StarClan would not have granted me nine lives.'" Poppyfrost's voice rose in pitch, cracking as he tried to imitate the tone of his former leader.  
>Thornkit and Firekit giggled quietly but were hushed by Ashkit, who simply pushed at her brothers with her tiny paws until they were silent.<br>"And the deputy of FeatherClan- his name was Willowwhisker- asked, 'How do we know you really have these nine lives?'" The elder's voice dropped into a deep, throaty growl, and Rainkit thought she could see him winking in amusement as Icekit shrank back.

"'Because I can do this,' Froststar said, and she looked back at Molefoot and he jumped on her, and bit the back of her neck. All of us froze, of course; Lichenpaw let out this little sound of shock, because she was scared. See, the reason she didn't want to be medicine cat- er, one of 'em- was because she didn't believe in StarClan and she didn't want nobody to know. She'd been born to a rogue, y'see, and her mother abandoned her with us. So she didn't understand why Froststar would do somethin' so dangerous. Thinkin' back, I can't really, either," he laughed.

Snowkit's eyes had gone wide as an owl's by that time. "Molefoot killed Froststar?!" she asked loudly, sounding almost excited. The elder nodded, rumbling softly.  
>"He did. And Willowwhisker and Froghop – the GoldClan cat- stared at him in shock too, because that was treason, you know. And Molefoot just said, 'Wait,' and so we did.<p>

"And lo and behold, Froststar stood up a bit later, shook out her fur, stretched her neck. She was fine, she was fine and cool as ever. And she just snarled at 'em, and they shrank back.  
>'FrostClan is meant to be here, and we will not budge to your puny intimidations. If you don't want full-out war, I suggest you get out of my territory and never come back.'"<p>

"Did they ever come back?" Rainkit found herself blurting, her eyes wide. She quickly shut her mouth, feeling like the other kits were staring at her for her outburst. Poppyfur chuckled, his tail switching back and forth.  
>"Not for a long, long time. But guess what? After that, Lichenpaw went to become the medicine cat apprentice. She found out she wasn't suited for battle, cause she herself had almost been killed before we got there. And she started believing. Cause heck, a cat can't just die and then come back to life without <em>something <em>there. Unfortunately," he rumbled in addition, a sad look clouding his eyes. "She died later."

Naturally, this prompted many questions from the kits, but he glanced up, looking out the interwoven branches at the entrance of the elder's den. "You all better scurry back to the nursery, it's almost time for the night patrol to go out. Your mothers must be worried sick for ya." Firekit had opened his mouth to argue with the tortoiseshell, but was nudged by a broad muzzle. "Get on, 'fore I tell Brambleface how rude you all were during storytime!"

_That_ got them moving, and with an exalted shout, Thornkit lead the way out of the den, all six kits soon bounding across the clearing as fast as they could in the now freezing winds. Rainkit faintly heard Poppyfur call after them to tell their mothers "hello", but none of the other kits gave any indication that they'd heard. Thornkit and Firekit were now in the lead, and had apparently begun racing, if Snowkit and Ashkit's struggle to keep up with them said anything.  
>Icekit was trembling, as if fully incased in her namesake, and Rainkit nudged her slightly.<br>"We're almost at the nursery, and it'll be a lot warmer there," she assured the smaller she-cat. Icekit just nodded passively and picked up the pace, looking all too relieved as she ducked into their den.

Rainkit's own paws felt frozen, her lungs burning from their run, and she immediately went to Robinflight's side, mewling pitifully for milk and warmth. Her mother just purred, sounding sleepy and content as she pulled her kits close, leisurely beginning to groom Snowkit as Rainkit pressed her face into the warm, soft fur at her belly.

"What stories did Poppyfur tell you?" she asked between licks, smoothing down the windblown fur on Snowkit's head.  
>"He told us about his first battle, back when he was an apprentice! Even though he didn't fight... Technically..." Her sister sounded almost upset about that, as though she wanted vivid accounts of violence, and Rainkit looked up at her mother, a sudden question burning in her mind.<br>"Robinflight, did you ever get to meet Froststar?" She heard a light guffaw from Brambleface's nest and her fur burned in embarrassment, seeing as it must have been a silly question for that sort of reaction. There was a pause in her mother's grooming as the she-cat thought. Then she turned to the little tabby. Snowkit looked disgrunted as the attention was turned from her, having nearly been asleep.

"I didn't know her personally," she admitted, and Rainkit was surprised to feel herself grow disappointed.  
>"FrostClan has struggled to survive for many moons more than we give it credit," Robinflight reminded, tenderly lapping at her daughter's fur. "My father used to talk of knowing Froststar. He always said she was very brave." Robinflight purred softly at the memory.<p>

"Wow, Poppyfur must be _ancient_!" Snowkit meowed in wonder, her blue eyes wide. Robinflight nodded in agreement.  
>"He's the oldest cat in the Clan. He's seen so many nurseries full of kits; he even fathered a good deal of them," she said, her eyes warm as she thought of the old tom. "He mentored Stormstar, and many other great cats like him. So if he ever gives you advice, you'd better listen and heed it as well as you can." When Rainkit made a face, she fixed her with a stern look.<p>

"He's silly though," Snowkit voiced for her sister, moving to clamber atop Robinflight to lay down. She was strange in all her little habits, Rainkit decided, remaining tucked to her mother's chest.  
>"He's very wise," Robinflight scolded, turning her head to gently butt her head against her daughter. "No matter how silly he may be. Now you two, get some sleep! I won't have you sleeping the whole day away again because of some silly little prank," she said, sounding unamused at the topic. Rainkit's fur flushed with embarrassment, and she exchanged looks with Snowkit, both knowing they'd been caught. Though it hadn't been a prank per say, their mother didn't know that and probably wouldn't listen if they told her. So Rainkit just decided to leave it, thankful her mother wasn't angrier at her for sleeping in.<p>

"Oh, Robinflight, Poppyfur said hello," Rainkit thought to add, her eyes growing heavy. Even though she wasn't tired, she found the rhythmic rise and fall of Robinflight's chest soothing, along with her full belly, and she quickly drifted off, little paws twitching as she dreamed.


	3. Chapter Two

Sunspot's kits were born towards the beginning of newleaf. Rainkit and the others were ushered out of the den early in the morning, still drowsy and blurry-eyed, as Brambleface rushed to Berryshine's den. The cream tom gave them a friendly glance over before ducking into their den, where Sunspot's voice could be heard rising in little mewls and whimpers of discomfort. It made the fur on Rainkit's hackles raise, and she nudged Snowkit, who seemed to be asleep on her paws.

"Why's she sound like that? Are the kits in her belly hurting her?" Rainkit whispered, her ears pricking as she overheard Berryshine soothing the distressed queen. Her sister gave her a look, partly exasperated and partly disbelieving. When it prompted nothing but a confused response from the brown tabby, she sighed.

"The kits want to come out, so they're getting ready for that, idiot," she muttered, sounding annoyed. Rainkit opened her mouth to speak further, but quickly backed down when Brambleface's kits heard their conversation and huddled around to join, tiny paws mussing up the sparse grass growing on the frosty cool ground.

"I bet she sounds like she's hurting like that 'cause they're all fighting to get out first," Thornkit hypothesized. Firekit's eyes widened.  
>"Does that mean they're using their claws on Sunspot?! Why? She's so nice?!" he blurted, receiving an incredulous look from Snowkit. "Not to mention she's their mother," the ginger tom muttered in conclusion, shrinking slightly from the icy blue gaze the she-cat had pinned on him. Rainkit wondered at his speculation, though it must not have been true from Snowkit's reaction to it.<p>

"Ew, imagine tiny little kittens scratching up your insides!" Thornkit squeaked, sounding horrified, and Snowkit's gaze quickly switched to him. Ashkit's expression twisted into one of terror, as did Icekit and Rainkit's. Firekit fixed them with a sympathetic stare.

"You guys are gonna have scratchy kit bellies one day!"

The very thought made Rainkit's pelt crawl uncomfortably, and she looked down between her front paws at her stomach, fat from kithood, only to shudder as she imagined it swelling to the point where she could barely move. She didn't like the image of her future self, bloated with kits and moaning pitifully in the nursery while Berryshine tended to her. Poor Sunspot had been wallowing miserably for nearly a half moon before her kits had decided they wanted to be born…

She felt a bit more respect towards the she-cat, and vowed to never be consciously rude to her ever again or put thistles or thorns in her nest.  
>"The kits aren't scratching her," Snowkit meowed, sounding irritated that the others had entertained the notion. Ashkit was quick to jump to her aide.<br>"Yeah, they can't be! She'd be bleeding a lot more, right?"

The logic seemed sound, and the she-kits relaxed for the most part. Then Icekit shuffled her paws, looking vaguely upset.  
>"Well then, what are they doing to her? They have to be hurting her somehow, for her to make those sounds…. Right?"<p>

The quiet question was surely cause for discussion, and Rainkit had half an argument that would likely end in her sister glaring at her ready. But they – Firekit mostly- were cut off by an amused purr. The little she-kit turned towards the sound, her ears perking at the sight of her father and Appleheart trotting past them, their fur smelling of frostbitten leaves and plump mice hanging from their jaws. Cloudfrost paused as his daughters looked at him, stopping to place his prey on the ground. Rainkit had half a mind to go investigate the strange-looking little creature, but her father's deep, rumbly voice interrupted the thought.

The thick furred tom had cocked his head into the direction of the nursery, his eyes narrowing in thought, before he turned his attention to the kits. "What are you all doing so close to the nursery? I'm sure Robinflight told you to do _something _to amuse yourselves," he added, looking stern. Rainkit gulped, despite knowing clearly that her mother had not given them any clear directions. Her father was very intimidating.

Snowkit seemed to have inherited the trait, or was immune to the effect, because she padded up to the warrior to nuzzle into his soft fur. "Robinflight didn't say to do anything in particular, just to stay out of trouble," she muttered, having to spit out some of his wayward hair that had found its way into her mouth.  
>The tom's stance was almost disapproving before he moved, lowering his head to swipe his tongue over Snowkit's ear, making the little kitten purr.<p>

"Well," he muttered, seeming almost uncertain now. Rainkit had heard her mother complaining (good naturedly, of course) to Brambleface about her "clueless" mate, and a hesitant purr crept out of her at her father's antics. He wasn't very good with other cats, she'd been told.

Appleheart stepped in to the tom's rescue, her eyes warm but strict. "You're going to be caught underpaw here soon, when the new kits are born. Why don't you all go see if the apprentices will teach you those new battle moves? Owlpaw's been bragging about it ever since last night."

The mere mention of the apprentices had all the kits bouncing in excitement. At four moons old, they were soon to be apprentices themselves, and the allure of following the older cats hadn't yet worn off. Thornkit was the first to turn tail and scamper to the apprentice's den, and the other kits soon followed suit, their tiny paws drumming the ground.  
>Appleheart stared after them, bemused, before picking up her mouse again, prompting her fellow warrior to do the same.<p>

Nightpaw's screech of alarm could have roused the entire Clan, and, as it were, it made most of the kits jump. Rainkit could hear Owlpaw and Thornkit laughing raucously, and a little thrill ran through her. Thornkit must have jumped on the little apprentice and scared them awake. Meaning they might be angry. She could only hope not.

"Geez, Nightpaw! Some cats have moonhigh patrol!" Brackenpaw griped, rolling over in his nest. Ashkit rolled her eyes at the tom, padding up to him and pawing at him. "You're not gonna get anymore sleep now that we're here! Now teach us those moves that Appleheart taught you!" The tom rolled his eyes at the smaller kit, moving so that his back was to her.  
>"Get Owlpaw to do it. She wants to mentor one of you little monsters one day anyway," he said, voice warping as he yawned tiredly. Ashkit puffed up at that, but didn't linger by the tom when Owlpaw stood up.<br>"Alright then! Let's go to the clearing so we don't bother the sleeping beauties," she said, snickering as Nightpaw glared after her.

Several of the warriors chuckled at the sight of them coming from the apprentice den; Owlpaw pranced proudly ahead, with a hardly uniform line of kits behind her. Rainkit walked with a bounce in her step, Brackenpaw's words ringing in her mind. She hoped she got one of them as her mentor, since she knew them so well and since the older warriors seemed scary.

Owlpaw turned once she got them to the clearing, instructing them to sit in a more organized line so they could all see. Firekit started muttering something excitedly to Thornkit, and Rainkit blinked, straining slightly to hear them.  
>She jumped when Owlpaw gave them a dirty look, turning away quickly. Snowkit snickered at her side.<p>

"So guys, Willowspot pretty much taught me to use an opponent's weight against them, so since you're still small you can actually do this!" she said cheerfully, using her tail to beckon Snowkit over. The silvery tabby jumped up immediately, going to stand before the apprentice as though she knew what she was doing. The size difference was almost comical, but she didn't look scared in the least.

"What you're going to want to do, Snowkit, is grab my front paw when I jump at you… Yes, just like that! Then you'll keep a firm grip, and dodge under me and to the side." Snowkit nodded at the instructions, repeating them back clearly when asked. Owlpaw looked extremely pleased with herself as she padded a few tail lengths away, telling the smaller cat to be ready.

It happened very quickly, and Rainkit would have missed it if she had blinked. The mottled apprentice lunged for her much smaller sister, lips drawn back in a mock-snarl. Even from where they were, Rainkit could see that her claws were still sheathed, and that she was only going to bat Snowkit with her soft white paws.  
>Snowkit moved fast, her mouth clamping hard on the apprentice's front paw even as she darted beneath her. But she wasn't quite fast enough, nor strong enough, and Owlpaw shook her off easily. But the calico looked impressed, her eyes wide.<p>

"Wow, Snowkit! You're a natural," she praised, and the smaller she-cat shrugged, ducking her head to try to lick some of the dust from the clearing out of her fur. Rainkit's eyes practically sparkled as she bounced up.  
>"Me next!" she chirped excitedly, surprisingly loud amidst the clamor of noise that were the other kits. Owlpaw purred. "Why don't you all practice with each other? That way I don't accidentally squish you," she suggested, earning disappointed sighs.<p>

Icekit immediately backed away at the suggestion, a slight grimace twisting her face. Owlpaw tipped her head in confusion, and Ashkit blinked before piping up, "Icekit wants to be the medicine cat when she gets older, 'cause she doesn't want to fight!"  
>Rainkit's eyes widened, as did her sister's, astonishment of the fact flooding them. Most kits (including them) adored fighting and wanted to become warriors as soon as they could, so it was somewhat surprising that any kits would choose the life of a medicine cat over that. Especially since Berryshine was widely regarded to be the most boring cat in camp.<p>

Snowkit's mouth opened, and she was obviously going to say something to that affect, but Owlpaw was already talking, her tone warm. "Well if that's your decision, Icekit, go for it! I'm sure you'll be a great medicine cat!" The little white kit looked flustered at that, her eyes lowering to the ground bashfully.  
>"I-I'm okay with just watching, so you all can go ahead," she mumbled timidly, and Owlpaw nodded in understanding. Though Rainkit was still confused, Owlpaw's words cleared it up a bit. It was Icekit's decision.<p>

"But now there's not enough of us to do pairs!" Firekit objected after a moment, and was promptly backed up by his other siblings. Owlpaw shifted her paws slightly. "W-well, in that case, I can keep practicing with Snowkit. Is that okay with you?" she asked the smaller she-cat, looking down at her curiously. Snowkit just nodded, causing another chorus of groans to ripple through the kits. Rainkit sighed, jealously tinting her thoughts as she reluctantly went to pair up with one of the other kits.

Thornkit and Firekit naturally chose each other, so she was left with Ashkit, who padded over confidently. Rainkit nearly shied away, not knowing her fellow kit too well, but the gray she-cat didn't seem to care, immediately engaging them in a fierce play-scuffle. Which she then proceeded to win, using the technique that Owlpaw had just shown them. Rainkit sulked slightly, upset that when she had tried to use the move it hadn't worked; Ashkit had just twisted out of her grasp, as slippery as a fish.

"Don't feel too down about it, you've only got Snowkit to practice with. I have those two idiots," Ashkit consoled, sitting beside her to watch the third rematch between Thornkit and Firekit, who were starting to look like walking balls of dust. Snowkit was pinned under Owlpaw after another failed attempt at the move, and was patting at her muzzle with her tiny claws, making the older she-cat laugh.  
>"We don't talk much," Ashkit went on, making Rainkit turn her head to look at her again.<p>

"No, we don't," she agreed after a moment, still rather sore about losing. She almost suggested that she'd like to keep it that way, but Ashkit plopped down beside her, purring loudly.  
>"I don't know why, I've always thought you were really nice," she said, and Rainkit felt so awful about her previous thought that she kept her mouth shut, ashamed of herself. But it seemed that Ashkit wanted a response, so she mumbled, "Thank you."<br>Then, still feeling bad, she quickly added a compliment by way of, "You're pretty cool yourself," which made Ashkit's eyes light up. She laughed, and Rainkit could feel it through her soft, fluffy fur.

"Well thanks. It's nice to talk to another she-cat my age that isn't crazy confident like Snowkit, or really shy like my sister," she mewed, and the tabby blinked, feeling strangely honored.

Rainkit started to speak, but Owlpaw suddenly shot up, her eyes lit with excitement. "Look, guys! The new kits are here!" she said excitedly, already running off to join the growing mass of cats crowding the entrance to the nursery. Rainkit's eyes widened, and she glanced to Ashkit, seeing her own excitement reflecting back in the gray she-cat's eyes.

The kits easily managed to get into the nursery, their smaller size helping them crawl under the bigger warriors. Their mothers immediately herded them to a separate corner, Robinflight scolding them lightly for budging in while Brambleface stuck her head out of the nursery to hiss warningly at the crowd.  
>"Goodness!" she grumped once she deemed the group thin enough, going to begin aggressively grooming Firekit, who squeaked and tried to get away from the rough licks. "It's as though those heathens have never seen newborn kits before! Great <em>StarClan<em> what were you _doing _out there? You are all absolutely covered in filth!" Firekit let out an embarrassed whine, still struggling in his mother's grasp as his ginger fur slowly became visible again.

Thornkit started hurriedly explaining that they had been playing with Owlpaw, which was why they were so dirty, and Robinflight huffed, starting on Snowkit. Rainkit suddenly remembered the reason they had rushed to the nursery en masse, and glanced over to Sunspot's nest, unable to see anything over the queen's body from that angle. She noticed that her belly wasn't nearly as big as it had been before, and she sighed in relief. It had looked like she was going to burst before, and Sunspot was too nice a cat to have that happen to her.

Kestrelsong was at her side, his amber eyes soft and patient as he pushed his muzzle to his mate's with a purr, and Rainkit felt strangely uncomfortable, looking away quickly. But Sunspot had noticed her gaze, and beckoned her over with a tired little mew.  
>"I forget that none of you have seen any kits younger than you before," she said softly, her voice a bit croaky sounding. Rainkit nodded slightly, eager to see the new kittens. Something that was smaller than her was hard to come by, save for the insects that came into the camp or things found on the freshkill pile.<p>

When she saw them, she suddenly understood why the older cats always talked about kits and wanting them. Before it had been annoying to be fawned over and protected, but now she understood. Three tiny bundles of fur were pressed close to Sunspot's belly, exhausted from their ordeal and occasionally giving a little pitiful mew. They looked like miniature versions of the other kits, but with smaller ears and their eyes were shut despite the fact that they were clearly awake. Their paws, impossibly tiny, were splayed out behind them or, in a tiny tabby's case, above them, and the pads were bright pink and soft.

"Their names are…" Sunspot's voice broke her out of her reverie, only to notice that the other kits were crowded around her now and staring in awe at their new Clanmates.  
>"Spottedkit, Minkkit, and Ivykit." She nudged each kit as she named them, respectively a little tortoiseshell she-kit, a fluffy brown tabby, and a much smaller brown striped she-kit. She soothed them tenderly when Minkkit started fussing and letting out sharp mewls of distress.<p>

Robinflight purred, her own eyes soft as she looked over her friend's kits. "They're beautiful names for beautiful kits," she said fondly, and Sunspot beamed proudly. Kestrelsong shared a similar look, winding his tail with his mate's. Brambleface used one paw to gently herd the older kits away as he started murmuring into her ear, and Rainkit vaguely heard, "You did so good, I love you so much," as she was steered away.

It was late that night when Stormstar called everyone out to the clearing, his blue eyes warm and welcoming as faint moonlight illuminated his Clan. Brambleface wanted the kits to stay inside the nursery, fretting about how cold it still was in _newleaf_, but they still piled atop each other at the mouth of the den, Icekit on the very top because she was the smallest. Rainkit felt squished, even if it was just Snowkit and Icekit on top of her.

Stormstar announced that the kits had been born, along with their names. The gathered cats murmured approvingly, and Rainkit heard Sunspot purr softly from behind her. She had slept the majority of the day away, tired from giving birth and being drilled on what to do if the kits showed symptoms of any sort of illness by Berryshine. Then he called Brackenpaw, Nightpaw, and Owlpaw up to stand before him, and the older kits squirmed in excitement. Rainkit hissed in irritation as Snowkit's claws caught her ear, but paid little mind to it after her sister glared down at her.

Cloudfrost, Willowspot, and Minnowflight all stared proudly after their apprentices as they sat before the leader, their fur all neatly groomed and their eyes shining with excited pride.  
>Brambleface grumbled at the sight of the kits all piled up at the entrance of the nursery, but merely bid they pay attention, so they wouldn't be confused or nervous for their own ceremonies. They had already seen one ceremony, but they were too young to properly remember it.<p>

When Stormstar spoke this time, it was like he had real power in his words, and the Clan fell silent. Rainkit felt Ashkit shiver slightly below her, and a cold tingle also spread down her spine. Did StarClan give him that power? Or was that all his own doing?  
>"StarClan has blessed us with many moons of peace and livelihood. We not only have new kits, but new warriors and, soon, new apprentices. Our Clan is growing stronger by the season, and we usher in the new year by welcoming three strong, capable cats into our warrior's den.<br>I, Stormstar, leader of FrostClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.

"Nightpaw, please step forward." The black cat obediently stepped forward, their eyes pinned on Stormstar. Rainkit's chest tightened slightly. Nightpaw looked so much more mature than they had just that afternoon.

"Nightpaw, do you vow to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"  
>The apprentice's voice trembled as they meowed, "I do."<br>"Then by the powers given to me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Nightfoot. StarClan honors your honesty and dedication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of FrostClan."

Nightfoot stepped forward again, and Stormstar rested his muzzle on their head, leaving the new warrior to lick his shoulder in respect before they stepped apart.  
>The black cat walked proudly to stand by their former mentor, Minnowflight, and she purred proudly at them.<p>

Thornkit and Firekit cooed in appreciation, squirming underneath them. Ashkit hissed at them and they stilled, but Rainkit could still feel their contagious excitement. She tried hard not to squirm herself.

Stormstar immediately moved on to Owlpaw, beckoning her up. She was trembling, or maybe it was just the moonlight reflected on her mottled pelt.  
>"Do you, Owlpaw, pledge to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" The she-cat nodded, a jerky movement, and her voice was so low that the kits couldn't hear it from their position.<br>"Then, by the powers given to me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Owlpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Owlstorm. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and fighting-spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of FrostClan."

Owlstorm's eyes were shining as she turned away from her leader, and a loud purr was heard as she met with the deputy and her former mentor. She started to speak loudly and excitedly but was shushed, though it didn't damper her demeanor.

"Finally we get to see what name this idiot gets," Ashkit muttered as Brackenpaw stepped up to stand before Stormstar. Firekit wiggled.  
>"He's not an idiot! He's a good, fierce warrior!" he objected, and Ashkit strained a paw down to cuff his ears. Firekit, naturally, scooted back, and the movement caused the small tower of kits to crumble and collapse. Rainkit yelped in alarm and let out a sound of pain as her chest collided with the floor and Icekit fell on top of her.<br>Ashkit was up and bristling in a second, her eyes seething with righteous fury. She started to raise her voice, but Brambleface intervened, gently cuffing her ear.  
>"Hush now, or you won't hear the ceremony," she scolded, lifting Icekit up to comfort her back at their nest.<p>

Ashkit grumbled angrily, staying far away from her brothers and sitting right next to Rainkit, who tried not to shy away. She could almost feel her pelt burning angrily. Snowkit had grunted in laughter and was now sitting beside Firekit, whispering something to him. Ashkit ignored it.

Brackenpaw had just stated "I do", and Stormstar had paused, looking inexplicably proud.  
>"Then by the powers given to me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Brackenpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Brackenblaze. StarClan honors your bravery and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of FrostClan."<p>

Ashkit made a loud, strangled sound, and Rainkit looked to her in confusion.  
>"<em>Intelligence...<em> I'm speechless," she muttered to herself, and Rainkit just purred in amusement. Outside, the Clan was becoming rowdy, the new warriors' names being repeated in increasing volume. The kits joined in, and soon they couldn't hear anything else, the joy so palpable in the air it infected even the morose elders, who were bickering even through the yelling.

_In a few moons, we'll be closer to that,_ Rainkit thought dreamily, her heart full and beating fast even as the Clan started to quiet down, the new warriors going to the front of the camp to stand guard. Robinflight yawned, scooping Rainkit up by the scruff and using her front paws to nudge Snowkit into the direction of their nest.  
>"We have a big day tomorrow, we need rest," she said, situating them at her belly like they were still small kits even though they had been eating freshkill for almost a full moon. Snowkit looked at her and whispered that their mother probably didn't want them to grow up, and Rainkit scoffed quietly.<p>

They were going to grow up, and they were going to be great. Their mothers should be proud.


	4. Allegiances (2)

FROSTCLAN

**Leader:**

Stormstar - Dark gray tom with blue eyes.

**Deputy:**

Willowspot - Black-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

**Medicine Cat:**

Berryshine - Cream-colored tom with white paws. Bright green eyes.  
>(apprentice: Icepaw)<p>

**Warriors:**

Cloudfrost - Large gray-and-white tom with pale blue eyes. Half blind.  
>(apprentice: Thornpaw)<p>

Runningspirit - Black tom with green eyes.  
>(apprentice: Rainpaw)<p>

Appleheart - Gray she-cat with amber eyes.  
>(apprentice: Firepaw)<p>

Foxtail - Ginger tom with a bushy tail. Amber eyes.  
>(apprentice: Snowpaw)<p>

Minnowflight - Very light gray she-cat with distinct black markings.

Kestrelsong - Cream-and-brown tom with amber eyes.

Fernwhisker - Delicate tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Volefrost - Black tom with amber eyes.

Dewcloud - Gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Brackenblaze - Golden tabby tom with amber eyes.  
>(apprentice: Ashpaw)<p>

Nightfoot - Black with white patches on chest and face.

Robinflight - Pale tabby she-cat with gray eyes.  
>(apprentice: Rowanpaw)<p>

Brambleface - Spotted brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

**Apprentices:**

Ashpaw - Gray tabby she-cat with black stripes. Green eyes.

Icepaw - White she-cat with blue eyes.

Firepaw - Ginger tom with amber eyes.

Thornpaw - Brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Rowanpaw - Dark brown tom with swirl-like markings and green eyes.

Rainpaw - Brown tabby she-cat with a white muzzle, paws, chest, and belly and blue eyes.

Snowpaw - Silver tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

**Queens:**

Sunspot - Light ginger she-cat.  
>Minkkit - Fluffy brown tabby tom.<br>Spottedkit - Tortoiseshell-and-white she-kit  
>Ivykit - Brown tabby she-kit<p>

**Elders:**

Poppyfur - Tortoiseshell tom with gray eyes.

Brokenfang - Gray tom with an underbite.

Brick - Reddish brown tom with green eyes and a graying muzzle.


	5. Chapter Three

Rainpaw made sure to crouch low, her tail still and her eyed focused. The apprentice's paws twitched in nervous anticipation, but she obediently stayed put, remembering her training. She could smell Runningspirit nearby, and her fur prickled; he was watching her.

The mouse she had targeted shuffled through the leaves quietly, sitting up on its haunches to investigate a tiny object it held in its forepaws.

Rainpaw held her breath, as though even the slight sound would ruin her hunt, and bunched the muscles in her back legs, tensing to spring. Another moment and she pounced, landing with splayed claws squarely on the little creature. Dazed, it didn't fight to escape as she leaned in, dispatching it with sharp teeth to the neck.

She heard the leaves crunch behind her, and Runningspirit purred softly in pride.

"You're already much better at hunting," he praised, and her chest swelled with emotion. The whole Clan seemed to marvel at the newest apprentices, who were only eight moons old. The five were eager to please their mentors, and Firepaw claimed to have overheard Willowspot talking about an early warrior's ceremony for them. Icepaw was doing just as well, thriving under Berryshine's careful (read boring) guidance.

Runningspirit instructed his young apprentice to grab her prey, which she readily obeyed, the scent of fresh mouse making her mouth water. Greenleaf was truly as fantastic as she'd always heard the warriors say, and it had only just begun. Prey ran well, and Sunspot's kits were fat and healthy, as were the rest of the Clan.

Though, the thought sobered when she spotted Nightfoot and Brackenblaze on patrol together and passing by them, Ashpaw padding solemnly beside her mentor and waving her tail at Rainpaw as she walked by. She craned her head, watching them go with an odd sense of sadness in her chest.

Owlstorm had abandoned the Clan out of the blue, with Willowspot and Cloudfrost tracking her scent all the way to the GoldClan border. Rainpaw had heard that she'd been spotted at the last Gathering, cowering amidst her new Clanmates and lingering close to a big tabby tom, but no one knew why she'd left. Rainpaw just hoped she was happy in GoldClan, though she had no idea why anyone would want to leave FrostClan in the first place.

Her attention was drawn away from the depressing thoughts when she nearly ran into Thornpaw; the bigger tabby puffed up, glaring at her defensively as she stammered out an apology. Runningspirit wasn't far behind, and mrrowed in amusement at the sight of the apprentices, who were now trying to squish together all the moss that Rainpaw had scattered.  
>"Thornpaw? What are you doing?" he asked, and the tom grunted, shooing Rainpaw to get her out of his way and turning to the roots of the tree he had been clawing at moments before.<br>"Cloudfrost wants me to collect new bedding for Brick, 'cause he doesn't know how to do it," he muttered, obviously irritated, and Rainpaw almost said something in her father's defense. Runningspirit just gave her a careful glance before flicking the bigger tabby's ear.

"Cloudfrost knows what he's doing. If he thinks you need to fetch bedding for Brick, it's probably important," he said, and she could see Thornpaw struggling not to snort in disbelief that she echoed silently. How could gathering moss possibly amount to anything?

They left the disgruntled tom with his duties, passing by Robinflight and Appleheart, training Rowanpaw and Firepaw, respectively. The formerly-rogue tom's stare lingered on Rainpaw's pelt, and she felt warmth bubble through her and settle into her paw pads, not looking at him and chuckling in amusement when she heard him get tackled by his sparring partner.  
>The dark tabby had appeared at the border three moons before with his elderly father, Brick, in tow. They had both been starving and surely would have died had Stormstar turned them away. Brick was far too old to hunt efficiently and Rowanpaw (Rowan, at the time) too young and naïve. The smaller tom had become an apprentice with Rainpaw and the rest of her peers, taking Robinflight as his mentor. According to her mother, Rowanpaw was a very hard worker. It was encouraging to know that he wanted to work hard to be a FrostClan warrior, even though he wasn't a true Clan cat…<p>

They padded into camp, Rainpaw's chin tilted up with a bit, Rainpaw's chin tilted up with a bit of pride as she went to set her mouse down on the freshkill pile. Runningspirit looked amused for a moment, flicking her nose with his tail before trotting off to speak with Minnowflight.

"You actually caught something this time?" Rainpaw's ears flattened at the joking tone of her sister's voice, turning to see that the silvery tabby had padded out of the apprentice's den to join her. Her fur burned with embarrassment, and she snorted. "Of course I did. I'm not entirely useless," she challenged, receiving one of Snowpaw's infamous eye rolls.  
>Though she didn't appreciate her sister's comment, she understood where it came from. She had picked up on hunting the slowest of all the apprentices, and usually brought back less prey compared to the others. She was getting much better, in her own opinion.<p>

"That's the smallest mouse I've ever seen," Snowpaw sniffed in reply, turning to look at her with piercing blue eyes. Rainpaw bristled slightly. "It's fat!" she countered, tail tip twitching and anxiety settling in her gut despite not wanting it to.  
>"Besides, that's not the only thing I'm gonna catch today! That's just the warm up!"<p>

The silver she-cat looked at her again, whiskers quivering in amusement.  
>"Then I challenge you to bring back more prey than me by sunrise tomorrow," she announced, competition shimmering in her eyes. Rainpaw's anxiety fluttered but she refused to back down.<br>"Deal!" she shot back, exhilaration joining the sickening nervousness in her veins.  
>"What are the stakes?"<p>

Snowpaw blinked, looking a bit contemplative before she meowed, "The loser has to fetch the winner's moss for an entire moon."

Rainpaw set her mouth to keep from backing out, the boring task sounding daunting. But she could do it. She'd been practicing and she _would surely _beat her sister.

At least, that was what she'd thought.

Three missed birds later and Rainpaw was starting to grow depressed, her heart heavy. Would she catch _anything?_

She sighed as she plodded along, close to FrostClan's northern border. The earth was sloped under her paws but she didn't have trouble climbing it; it was in her blood to climb, after all. She parted her jaws, taking in the scents of the forest. The air was much clearer nearer the top of the mountain, and she could vaguely make out the shape of a bird, flying high overhead in the cloudless sky. She followed one lazy circle before lowering her gaze to the ground.  
>She scented the air again and felt nervous relief flood her as she smelled vole.<br>Her whiskers twitched slightly as she moved, making sure the little creature couldn't smell her as she drew steadily near it.

After a moment Rainpaw was able to hear it, the slight sound of its tiny paws on stone when it moved and its restless gnawing on fresh green foliage. She couldn't see it but she crouched anyway, slowly creeping towards it. She made sure to not step on any twigs or dry leaves, hyperconscious of her last mistakes. She spotted brown fur and fell lower, eyes focused on the little scrap of fur as she wiggled her haunches, getting ready to pounce.

The moment she had sprung forward, she heard a loud screech, and her eyes widened in confusion when her claws sank into soft feathers instead of fur. There was another screech and she was almost wrenched off the giant bird's back, fear spiking through her. The hawk from earlier!

Rainpaw yelped, ducking as a sharp beak jabbed at her, and she looked up into cruel yellow eyes. She gasped, squeezing her own eyes shut. She had to kill it…! She'd made it angry and if she let it go it would kill her instead!  
>She hesitantly cracked open her eyes, leaning forward to sink her teeth into the feathers at the bird's neck. Another shriek assaulted her hearing and she struggled not to flinch away. She was battled by strong wings but didn't dare let go, repeating her panicky mantra over and over in her head to try to steady herself.<p>

After several long, terrifying moments, she felt the hawk go still. Even then, she didn't let go, frozen with fear. What if it was just playing dead?  
>It eventually started to grow cold and she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. The warmth of the Greenleaf sun was fading from the sky and she shivered, looking down at the big bird. Its wings, when spread across, were easily longer than her…<p>

An odd feeling of triumph rose in her, and the feeling bubbled in her throat. She let out a victorious howl, excitement shattering her former fear. _Yes! _She had caught a hawk! There was no way that Snowpaw could do that!

The only problem now was getting the huge thing back to camp, and Rainpaw could almost _hear _Cloudfrost's praise. She sniffed at the hawk cautiously, and almost laughed when she saw the little vole she'd been hunting, held in the dead bird's talons. Two in one go!

She tried to drag the hawk by its neck, but its dragging wings tripped her up and she decided to grab one wing tip, trying to make it easier on herself. She managed to get it about six foxleaps down the mountain before she had to stop for a break, panting harshly. The Clan would eat for _moons _off this thing…

Rainpaw eventually ran into a patrol, and Rowanpaw gaped at her, covered in twigs and mud and dragging a bedraggled hawk. Robinflight helped her carry the thing back to camp, her gray eyes shining with warm love and pride for her daughter. When they entered camp, there was an uproar.

Rainpaw had never had so much attention on her, and purred proudly as she recounted the harrowing tale of how she'd caught the hawk to her fellow apprentices. Ashpaw looked so excited, Rainpaw thought she might go out that instant in pursuit of her own bird of prey. Snowpaw's eyes had widened slightly, but she didn't give any other indicator of surprise. She had to be impressed, but she was hiding it and it almost made the brown tabby want to claw her own fur out in frustration.  
>Rowanpaw looked so impressed and kept staring at her, and she ducked her head, licking her chest fur in embarrassment. Thornpaw and Firepaw were bombarding her with questions, and Icepaw was just staring at her former denmate fondly, with maybe a hint of jealousy in her eyes.<p>

As predicted, Cloudfrost complimented her, his eyes wide with surprise and pride. She squirmed out of the throng of cats to meet him, where he was sitting with Snowpaw, who'd disengaged moments before. Rainpaw's chin was held high, and she sneered at her sister.  
>"Bet you didn't catch something as awesome as that!" Cloudfrost gave her a warning look and it confused her. Snowpaw was always insulting her, why…?<p>

"Yeah, but I caught more than you, so you still lost the bet," her sister said decisively, and Rainpaw felt outrage spark in her fur.  
>"What?! B-but I caught a hawk and a vole-"<p>

"And I caught three mice and a thrush," Snowpaw mewed dismissively, and the smaller tabby wanted to cry. "But that's… not fair!" she gasped, and she was met with a cynical blue gaze.

"You lost the bet, Rainpaw," Cloudfrost reminded, sweeping his fluffy tail over his daughter's shoulders.  
>"You have to honor your agreement." Snowpaw just glared at her contemptuously, and Rainpaw's tail drooped.<p>

"Fine…" she mumbled, storming past her father and sister and struggling not to run out of camp. Instead she stalked into the apprentice den, too angry and upset to even eat for the night. She covered her nose with a paw to stop herself from sniffling, angry tears pricking her eyes. It wasn't fair in the least.

She wanted to claw at her nest but refrained, trying to get to sleep.

She almost snapped at whoever was entering the den next, realizing it was Ashpaw after a second. She sniffed and turned her head, bristling in shock when the gray she-cat laid beside her, so close their fur touched.  
>"Sorry you lost the contest," she mewed, and Rainpaw felt her fur burn. Everyone must have seen her confrontation with her sister… She wanted to crawl under a rock. She must have looked like a kit.<p>

"Yeah... I just wish that she wasn't such a jerk about it…" She shrugged, her anger melting away slowly. "I didn't want Cloudfrost to know about it either, because he would have made her the winner even if I'd caught a hundred mice!"

Ashpaw sniffed, trying not to laugh, and Rainpaw glared at her. Her father's obvious favoritism was no laughing matter.

She shook off her amusement, giving the brown tabby a soothing lick to the cheek.  
>"He was just upholding the agreement," she reminded, and Rainpaw huffed, but knew she was right. The elder tom didn't have to be rude about it, though.<br>Ashpaw pressed closer, and Rainpaw unwittingly felt soothed by her friend's presence. She sighed.

"Thanks Ashpaw… I'm sorry I was acting like a kit. It just made me mad, is all." Ashpaw just nodded, lips curling up in a little smile. She mewed a few more words of encouragement before they settled in to share tongues, Rainpaw's anger now fully dissolved.

"That hawk you brought in is really awesome. I wish I had the luck to share prey with a big, dumb bird like that!" Ashpaw teased after a few moments, and Rainpaw grunted, rolling her eyes. "It was _scary," _she said, much to her friend's amusement.

They shared a few more words before collapsing into comfortable silence. Rainpaw appreciated it. With anyone else, silence was mostly awkward. Thornpaw and Firepaw talked too much, and Snowpaw and Icepaw far too little. It was nice.

She didn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke at sunrise, she felt two bodies curled closely to her and blinked in shock. Ashpaw was still lying beside her and Rowanpaw was curled loosely around her, breath soft against her fur. She flushed, laying her head back down on her paws to try to go back to sleep.

Upon finding out that she wouldn't be able to and feeling slightly claustrophobic between her two friends, she carefully got up and tiptoed around the rest of her denmates, the clearing cool from the night. Robinflight was standing guard, and gave Rainpaw a look of sympathy when the tabby crossed to the freshkill pile, looking discouraged again when she saw her ginormous kill stretched across the smaller prey items.

Rainpaw almost hissed in aggravation when Snowpaw followed her out, turning her head so that she could avoid her sister. The silvery tabby sat beside her, lifting a paw to lick and swipe over her face.

"I never said I wasn't impressed with this," she mewed after several moments of silence. Rainpaw blinked in shock.  
>"You're a lousy hunter and you can't fight for mouse dung, but you caught a hawk and that's kind of hard to ignore," she went on, and the smaller tabby reluctantly turned to her. Snowpaw sat looking over the hawk, her expression still cool and passive. She waited for more words, but it seemed her sister was done.<p>

Still reeling from the confusing words, Rainpaw could only blinked after her sister abruptly stood, trailing her tail briefly over her shoulders before trotting across the clearing to their father, who'd just emerged from the warrior's den.

Rainpaw didn't think she'd ever understand her sister, and chalked it up to their mother's naming. Snowpaw was such a fitting name, and she absently wondered how Stormstar could change it. Maybe Snowslush?


End file.
